The annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is North America’s largest trade fair dedicated to all aspects of kitchen and bath design. This year’s extravaganza, which boasted more than 600 exhibitors, was held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It was vast, but even in that crowded field, several new products stood out for their creative use of hardwood. Here are three that caught my eye.

Tapered kitchen hood in wood shiplap by Design-Craft.

Even though the most important consideration when selecting a kitchen hood is how well it functions, there’s no reason why this essential piece of kitchen equipment can’t be equally appealing visually. A new wood-encased hood from Design-Craft, the Minnesota-based kitchen cabinetry manufacturer, is sure to raise the style quotient of any kitchen in which it’s installed. Almost Shaker-like in its simplicity of line and lack of ornamentation, the tapered hood is available in either plain or shiplap wood, the latter option reflecting the current trend of bringing clapboard-style planking into residential interiors.

The Solace Vanity with oak cabinetry and cast-concrete integrated top and sink by Native Trails.

Founded by Naomi Neilson in 1996, Native Trails combines artisanal traditions with contemporary design and sustainable materials to produce high-quality kitchen and bathroom furniture and fixtures. At KBIS the San Luis Obispo, California–based company, which is best known for its iconic copper sinks, introduced the Solace, a handsome new bathroom vanity that combines the warmth of solid FSC-certified oak cabinetry with the cool of a cast-concrete integrated top and sink. With two deep, full-extension drawers and a sturdy open concrete shelf, the vanity is as practical and durable as it is good looking.

Wellborn Cabinet’s industrial-loft kitchen features maple cabinetry in various door styles and finishes.

In my report on last year’s KBIS, I wrote about a spectacular all-hickory bathroom by Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. This year, the Alabama-based high-end cabinetry manufacturer returned with an equally show-stopping industrial-loft-style kitchen installation. The designer played with multiple materials, door styles, and cabinetry stains and colors: The wall cabinetry is Wellborn’s Chelsea door style in maple with the new Suede stain; the island’s cabinetry is the Chelsea style in maple, too, with the new Mink paint finish; and the lower base cabinetry is the Antigua door style in maple with the new Shale stain. Talk about a dream kitchen!

Design-Craft Cabinets
10501 10th Street
Waconia, MN 55387
www.designcraftcabinets.com

Native Trails
2980 South Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
nativetrailshome.com

Wellborn Cabinet, Inc.
38669 Highway 77 South
Ashland, AL 36251
www.wellborn.com